Removable Media Best Practices

Transcription

1 WHITE PAPER PART ONE Business-aligned Security Strategies and Advice

2 Introduction The nature of business information technology is at a crossroads. On the one hand, pressure to enforce good corporate governance, secure sensitive information and meet compliance mandates would seem to demand ever-tighter controls. On the other hand, the need to respond to new business opportunities, to collaborate with a greater number of partners more closely, and the emergence of new technologies are placing unprecedented strain on existing security processes and practices. One of the most commonly cited areas where these two opposing waves meet is in the area of control over user-owned devices that may hold sensitive or proprietary data. This problem has become acute as the storage power of removable media such as flash drives and portable hard drives has rapidly outstripped the security controls designed to manage them. This two-part whitepaper will address some of the best practice approaches that you may wish to evaluate and potentially adopt in order to reduce the risk of USB devices becoming the source of a significant leak or virus infection. Part one will discuss the nature of the challenges facing organizations such as yours, that wish to reduce the risk of a data breach caused by the unmanaged use of removable media such as USB flash drives. It will also discuss how to begin to address these challenges, from building policy to educating users. Part two will address the various controls that can be put in place, discuss which are appropriate depending on the type of information you wish to secure, and also provide guidance on an idealized solution CREDANT Technologies, Inc. All rights reserved. PAGE 2 of 6 For more information contact

3 The Removable Media Problem The storage capacity of removable media such as USB drives has grown at an almost exponential rate for the last several years. With storage capacities now measured in hundreds of gigabytes and even terabytes, and devices that are so cheap and small they have become almost disposable, the capacity for sensitive information to be copied onto a device, and then lost, has become a source of significant concern for IT and security professionals. A single USB drive could hold millions of patient records, and should it be lost, leave a hospital system open to fines and lawsuits. A single device could carry billions of dollars worth of intellectual property, and yet controls to monitor and manage the use of such devices have been slow in coming and are often poorly enforced. Significant losses of protected information continue to reach the news, especially involving unencrypted information stored on flash drives and accidentally lost or misplaced. Furthermore, recent reports show that USB drives are increasingly being used to transport malware from system to system, often without the owner s knowledge. As the regulatory pressure to secure information grows both in the US and the rest of the world, the need to quickly enforce security on removable media has never been greater. Why then, has this problem not been fully addressed? The Removable Media Challenge There are many reasons why some organizations now find themselves playing a game of catch-up with USB security. Often, senior management have not prioritized removable media security or allocated resources to address the problem. In other cases, although technical controls have been put in place, they are either inadequate or have met with resistance from users who expect significant freedom to use their USB devices within the corporate network as easily as they can at home. Whatever the level of security you currently have in place, it is likely that your organization faces some of these challenges still: The Range of devices The range of devices that need to be protected and managed presents a significant technical and process hurdle. USB devices range from simple flash drives to high-capacity external storage, and include Mobile computing and Smart Phones. Even within these broad categories there are numerous sub-types. For example, flash drives may be the traditional type, they may be U3 devices capable of auto-executing applications, or even secure devices with their own encryption built-in. Likewise, the range of mobile computing devices and smart phones has grown dramatically, especially with the widespread use in the corporate world of RIM Blackberrys, Android-based devices, and the growing number of Apple offerings such as iphones and ipads. These devices will all need to be taken into consideration while planning for endpoint protection of data, and as the diversity of the platforms grow, traditional approaches to securing them have become difficult to manage at best, and in many cases, simply obsolete. User resistance One of the most significant, and yet least discussed, challenges for USB device protection is user resistance. Users expect to use USB flash drives for a variety of purposes, from moving files between systems to backing up data and sharing information. Once restrictions are placed on the way USB devices are used, significant resistance from the user community often results. This can derail even the best-planned encryption project, or as often happens, leave pockets of unprotected systems and users that ultimately represent potential risk for a breach to occur CREDANT Technologies, Inc. All rights reserved. PAGE 3 of 6 For more information contact

4 Management cost Deploying any new technology incurs some degree of cost. However, deploying software to enforce policies around a technology as ubiquitous as removable media can result in some significant management headaches. One of the biggest management challenges is simply deciding what level of control should be put in place, and how to deal with data already on a USB drive that may not need encryption. As more and more users bring their own devices into the enterprise network, and as the consumerization of business computing takes effect, this problem often grows rapidly in complexity. Key management planning is a vital issue to address especially as it pertains to restoring access to devices if the user is unable to remember the key, as is addressed below. Recovery issues for lost keys The benefit of encrypting data on removable media devices is that it provides protection to your organization in the event that device containing sensitive information is lost. However, you must also plan to support users who lose (or forget) their encryption keys. Key management, especially recovery of lost keys, can be challenging when the systems in question are within the corporate network. When the keys are for USB devices that are distributed around the world, the problem may seem insurmountable. The difficulty in helping a remote user recover data from a thumb drive at short notice can often spell the end of device encryption pilot projects. As will be discussed later, the ideal solution should enable users to recover their own keys with only minimal involvement from central support and helpdesk staff. However, if this is not possible, the cost of supporting thousands of users, each of whom may possess several drives, can be excessive. Reporting and auditing As an essential part of any security and compliance program, reporting and auditing requirements must be met. As sensitive data gets copied to more and more devices, the need to centrally manage and report on the security of those devices grows too. For many organizations, the challenge has been so great that they have simply ignored the problem and concentrated instead on fixed devices within the network. This, of course, leaves them vulnerable not only to a breach, but to an audit finding or failure to meet a compliance mandate. Lack of visibility of the problem with senior management While senior management may well understand the need for controls on devices within the corporate network, and even protection for mobile computing resources such as laptops, there may be little awareness of the risks posed by removable media. The lowcost, high-capacity storage devices that many employees routinely carry with them, and use, represent a significant threat to data security. But without careful education of senior management stakeholders, budgets to address this area of risk may not be forthcoming, or may take second place to more directly visible projects. Protecting your Enterprise best practices The most effective approach to reducing the risk from removable media such as USB storage devices is, as in any other area, to adopt a structured methodology based on deciding where the greatest risks lie for your organization and implementing a policy to manage them. The recommended steps, then, will be: Assess Risk Build Policy Communicating Policy 2010 CREDANT Technologies, Inc. All rights reserved. PAGE 4 of 6 For more information contact

5 Education of Users and Management Implementation Monitoring and Reporting Each step will most likely mirror work that is already underway and therefore should be integrated with existing practices and processes to gain the greatest possible efficiencies. Assessing and quantifying risks The nature and location of sensitive information should be determined and documented. Access controls already in place should be considered and assessed in the light of USB storage devices, physical and network availability, and existing monitoring capabilities. If sensitive information is stored on endpoint systems rather than in a central server, the following questions should be determined: Who has access? What is the volume of information available? Are USB devices commonly used? What capability is there to monitor mounted USB storage devices, as well as copying information to/ from them? There are numerous risk assessment frameworks commonly in use, and incorporating removable media into them should be a priority. One of the key factors to consider is the extent of regulatory impact from a breach, especially in light of the current multi-state patchwork of breach notification laws, and extension of such mandates as HIPAA with the HITECH act. In the US, for example, a significant portion of the breaches reported by the Department of Health and Human Services are the result of lost portable devices. Build Policy All good security policies are built to help enable business while reducing risk. The objective of a removable media and USB device policy (or incorporating policies for USB devices within your existing framework) should be no different. Like any security policy, it should: Be clear Is there ambiguity or is the policy clear on what is required? Be understandable Can users understand the policy without deep technical knowledge? Set attainable goals Is the policy sensible in a realworld situation? Provide sufficient detail to enable action Will administrators know how to enforce the policy? Enhance business goals Does this policy provide for the support of underlying, core business objectives? Take into account existing policies and practices Does the policy on removable media align well with the policy on other types of information technology usage? Reflect the regulatory landscape of the organization Does it provide the level of good governance required to meet the organizational mandate needs? As we discuss later, some of the types of controls that you may wish to put in place to reduce risk from unmanaged USB devices may influence your policy decisions, although policies should never be driven by technical capabilities alone (or even in the majority). Your policy for removable media usage must, above all, reflect the real-world usage of devices by your business user community if it is to be successfully implemented. Communicate the policy Any changes to security policy must always be clearly communicated, but it is especially important when that policy affects day-to-day activities such as using 2010 CREDANT Technologies, Inc. All rights reserved. PAGE 5 of 6 For more information contact

6 USB storage devices. Few users will give any thought to the implications of moving data to and from such devices, therefore suddenly restricting their use or imposing onerous operational requirements on how they are used without clearly explaining why will inevitably result in resistance and push-back from the business units affected. As has been seen in many real-world examples, users will expend inordinate amounts of energy to circumvent policies that they feel are unnecessarily restrictive and impact their capability to perform their job function resulting in weakened security and lost productivity. Clear communication up front is the easiest way to avoid this and address concerns that business users may have. Educate Hand-in-hand with communicating any new policies or changes to existing policies is the need to educate users. In fact, it is usually better to begin with more senior management, as their buy-in will be essential to the success of any new policy. Understanding the level of risk that unsecured USB devices represent, and the need to impose some degree of control is vital, however, resist the temptation to bombard managers and users with worst-case scenarios or horror stories. These usually serve only to undermine credibility and therefore call in question the need for controls. Explain how and why controls are to be put in place, show how they will be implemented, and give clear guidance on how business processes will be impacted especially focusing on how that impact will be minimized. Part two of this white paper will address which controls to implement and how to build an integrated, centrally managed approach to protecting information and reducing the risk of a breach. CREDANT Technologies Dallas Parkway, Suite 1420, Addison, Texas USA UK & EMEA, 88 Kingsway, London, WC2B 6AA, United Kingdom US: 866-CREDANT ( ) or UK: phone +44 (0) fax +44 (0) For more information: info@credant.com 2010 CREDANT Technologies, Inc. All rights reserved. CREDANT Technologies, CREDANT, We Protect What Matters, Intelligent Encryption, and the CREDANT logo are, or will be, registered trademarks of CREDANT Technologies, Inc. All other trademarks, service marks, and/or product names are the property of their respective owners. Product information is subject to change without notice.